Control gear



E. UHER E' AL CONTROL GEAR Filed Sept. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 20, 1934.

Nov. 20, 1934. E. UHER ET `AL 3 3 CONTROL GEAR Filed Sept. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &Hmmm 56 cccoooooooz GGGOGGGGG aoecdeoo 0oeo lili E, uh u" 4 Wenc ev /NveN TD RS patente& Nov. 20, 1934 CONTROL GEAR Edmond Uher, Feldafing-on-the-Starnberger See,

and Lajos Wenczler, Augsburg, Germany, assignors to Uhertype Akticngesellschaft, Glarus,

Switzerland Application September 6, 1933, Serial No. 688394 In Germany August 30, 1932 11 Claims.

The invention relates to an improved type of control gear with freely travelling registering bodies of the kind employed, for instance, in composing machines. The object of the invention is to increase the magnitude of the active switching stroke of the registering bodies, and at the same time separate the switching mechanism proper from the feeding mechanism of the registering bodies. Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a clear and conveniently accessible field for correcting the registrations. The other details of the invention will appear in the course of the specification.

The known types of the control gears in question are producing switching movements of slight actuating stroke only and their movement lacks steadiness, because in these devices only a fraetion of the diameter of the registering ball is utilized for the purpose of switchings, the switchings being effected by means of the ball feeding mechanism itself. The invention eliminates these drawbacks, and it consists substantially in that the registering bodies are without changing their pre-arranged displacement taken out from their eeding mechanism proper, before their efiecting the performance, by means of a relay arrangement, of the control operation which they have to perform. In this way, the working phase of switching is separated from the feeding-on phase and feeding as well as switching are relieved in a very high degree from any such reactions as might cause blockings of the mechanism.

The drawings diagrammatically illustrate an embodiment of the device according to the invention, shown by way of example and particularly suitable for photo-composing machines.

Fig. 1 is a cross-section of the control gear.

Fig. 2 shows the detail of the switching arms in the switching position.

Fig. 3 is a front view and, in part, a vertical section of Fig. 1 following the line III--III but in a different position.

The continually rotating main shaft 1 drives the two shafts 8 and 9 through the transmissions 2, 3, 4 and 5, 6, '7 respectively. The shaft 9 in its turn drives the shaft 10 by means of the transmission '7, 11, 12 at a transmission ratio of 1:1. The registering balls 13 are stored in the slanting channel 14, from where they are released one by 50 one by the key 16, the resilient support of which is efiected by means of the spring 15. When this key is pressed down, it pushes up the bar tongue 17 and thereby prevents the rolling-out of the balls at the rear, whilst at the same time the said 55 key draws down the bar-tongue 18, and thereby releases the first ball. When the key 16 is released, the position shown on Fig. l is established under the action of the spring 15. The `released ball 13 rolls towards the slide 22, which latter is 0 driven by the crank gear 19, 20 which causes it to perform a sliding movement up and down in the guide 21. The free end of this slide liits the ball from the bottom position of the slide up to the discharge channel 23. The ball recess 24 which is open in i''ont and at the back, is brushed in the upper extreme position of the slide 22 by a lever tooth 28 lodged at 25, the said lever tooth being actuated by means of the cam 27 of the crank-disc 19, the roller lever 29 linked-on at point 28, the link rod 30 and the arm 31. The lever tootl 26, in its position of rest, forms a rear boundary for the ball recess 24 and when Swinging forwards, drives the ball 13, liftecl by the slide 22, out of the recess 24.

The endless chain 34 runs round the chain wheel 32 fixed on shaft 3, as well as round the second chain wheel 33. The links of this chain are designed so as to form cages 35 having rather wide openings 36 for the balls so as to enable the balls to be easily handled and prevent their get- 0 ting stuck anywhere. The cage shape prevents any undesired jumping-out of the balis. It compensates automatically any such possible slight differences of phase as may occur with the free rolling of the balls, so that th balls will always get safely into the openings 35 in question. The upper curve of the chain is covered by a bow 37 so that the balls to be delivered fall down only at the channel 38 where they can eave their cages 35 unrestricted.

The ball arriving at the channel 38 rolls toward a second slide 39, which, in a similar way to the first slide 22, is driven by a crank gear 49, 41, so as to perform a slicling up and down motion in the guide 42 and at its upper end is likewise a'- ranged for the temporary taking along of balls 13.

Fig. 1 shows the slide 39 in the bottom extreme position. The ball recess 43 of the slide 39 cooperates with a three-armed level' linked at point 44. The arm 45 reaching into this recess is not touched by the empty slide, but iifted to an extent corresponding to the height of a ball (Fig. 2), as soon as the recess 43 brings up a ball 13. The lifting of the arm 45 causes a deection in the lefthand direction of the second arm 46, which in the example shown in the drawings, in the position of rest (Fig. 1), touches an electric contact tongue 47 and in the position according to Fig. 2 presses the said contact tongue 47 on to the second contact tongue-48. By the mutual contact of the two tongues 47, 48 a contiguous currentcircuit,-not shown on the drawings,-is closed. This switching is therefore really actuated exactly by the respective ball 13. It is of course also possible to provide for some other, for instance a purely mechanical actuation of control to be co-ordinated the operative place of the ball. The third arm 49 fitted with resilient support by means of spring 49, co-operates with the ratchet arm 52 linked-on at the point 51, in such a manner as to keep the three armed lever 4:5, 36, in the switching position until the cam 53 of the crank disc 40 lifts the ratchet arm 52 by the aid of the roller lever 54, the link rod 55 and the arm 56, thus undoing the looking. The timeswitching device is necessary in order to cause the switching eected by means of the balls to last a certain period.

The slide 33 co-operates also with a lever tooth 37 driving the balls, which is linked-on at the point 58 and actuated by a cam 59 of the crankdisc 40 by means of the roller lever 60, the link rod 61 and the arm 62. The lever tooth 57 surrounds the arm 45 within the recess 43 in the shape of a ork.

After lifting the arm 45 the respective ball 13 rolls back through the channel 63 into the initial position in channel 14 thereby having accomplished its circulation.

Between the discharging place 38 of the ball eeding mechanism 32-36 and the adjoining slide 39 a secondary parallel channel 64 is provided, which can be switched in and out by means of the alternating lid 65 or by means of a slide and which serves for the inoperative return of the balls 13 into the channe 14.

So far we have only described the ball circulation of a single switching place. In order to be able to switch the dierent characters of a photocomposing machine as chosen by means of a device according to the invention, a separate ball circulation has to be provided for each individual character. The channels 14 together with the keys 16 as well as the channels 64, 38 and conduits 63 are arranged in parallel to each other but separated from each other. The cages 35 are provided with a special opening 36 for each ball circulation. It can be seen from the drawings that the cages are also fit to be arranged in a long transversal row of openings 36 and are everywhere deep enough to take the balls 13 along. In Fig. 3 there are, for the sake of greater clearness, shown eleven keys 16 only and in each cage 35 eleven corresponding openings 36, but in reality the ball circulations in a photo-composing machine will have to be prepared in a far greater number. The two slides 22, 39 are in accordance with a transversal row of the ball feeding mechanism 32-36 provided with ball recesses 24, 43, formed by the comb-shaped teeth 66. The described ball drivers bridge over the corresponding transversal slides 22, 39 and all the lever teeth 26 or respectively 57 brush past the ball recesses 24 or respectively 43 between the comb teeth 66 all at a time. The described three-armed levers 45, 46, 50 on the other hand recur at each place of switching independently, each with special contacts and specially designed devices.

It is possible to drive the two transversal slides 22, 39 as well as the eeding mechanism 32-36 proper, mechanically, according to the highest composing speed, as the compositor has nothing further to do, but always to release a ball 13 corresponding to the chosen character by pressing down the respective key 16. All the other functions are performed automatically. After delivery of each ball the link chain 34 passes on by one division. The travel over the distance between the delivery of a ball and the performance of the switching operation allotted to it, ofiers sufficient time and opportunity for correcting any possible errors of registration, by re-displacing the balls, which can be done also by hand. The :feedingtrack of the pre-arranged balls, consisting of an inclined plane, offers a broad, clear field, easily and during a comparatively long time accessible, for possible corrections. In eecting these corrections, the secondary conduits 64 and the lids 65 can also b-e made to co-operate. If the work of eflecting corrections is entrusted, not to the compositor, but to a second operator, such corrections may be eected without causing any interruption of the work.

The pre-arranged displacement of the balls is Secur d from the outset, notably with the described reciprocal accordance of the driving mechanism of the eeding mechanism 32-36 and of the transversal slides 22, 39 also between the channel 38 and the switching point in the range of the upper end of the slide guide 42, where the balls 13 are outside their proper feeding mechanism 32-36.

The drive is constant and all mechanically driven parts of the apparatus in themselves run evenly. The slide driving mechanisms as well as the form of the multiple-shaft feeding mechanism make the most subtile individual adjustments possible, by the aid of which a Strictly accurate regulation of the co-operating parts and the possible wear, dilatation or other changes in the dimensions of the elements can be compensated. The control gear according to the invention is intended to efiect the direct combination of the mechanically driven portion of a photo-composing machine or the like with a hand-operated' keyboard, and notably to do so with the greater possible switch'ng security and in the quickest po sible rhythm of work. In order to further facilitate the adjustrnents occurring, the return channel 14 of the balls 13 is adjustable in the longitudinal direction, which fact is suggested by the broken spot in Fig. 1.

The current circuits closed by means of the contact tongues 47, 48 in the case described cause the mechanical photographic exposure of the respective characters chosen in each case or respectively the performance of other Operations of photocomposing. I-Iowever, the device according to the invention can, of course, be employed in all those cases where the aim to be ensured is to control step by step certain denite mechanical individual Operations in a succession allowing of registerng.

What we claim is:

1. A controlling mechanism comprising a series of movable controlling members, a movable carrier, a plurality of free contact bodies each adapted to occupy temporarily a position on said carrier, means on said carrier to hold said bodies in selected positions on the carrier, means for selectively placing said free contact bodies on said carrier in selected positions, Operating means interposed between said carrier and the movable controlling members, said Operating means being arranged to receive the contact bodies from the movable carrier successively and apply them to the controlling members to actuate the latter, and means for returning said free contact bodies into position to be selected.

2. A controlling mechanism as set orth in claim 1 in which the movable carrier comprises an endl ess conveyor having a plurality of driving shafts, arranged so'that the free contact bodies travel along an upwardly inclined plane thereon.

3. A controlling mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the movable carrier comprises an endless chain conveyor having cage-shaped chain links with openings therein for the reception of the free contact bodies.

4. A controlling mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the movable carrier comprises an endless chain conveyor having cage-shaped chain links with openings therein for the reception of the free contact bodies, said openings having a size such as to allow the contact bodies a certain amount of freedom of movement therein.

5. A controlling mechanism comprising a series of movable controlling members, a movable carrier, a plurality of free contact bodies each adapted to occupy temporarily a position on said carrier, means on said carrier to hold said bodies in selected positions on the carrier, means for selectively placing said free contact bodies on said carrier in selected positions, a movable transverse slide arranged to receive the contact bodies successively from said carrier and apply them to the controlling members to actuate the latter, and means for returning the free contact bodies into position to be selected.

6. A controlling mechanism as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for placing the free contact bodies in selected positions on the movable carrier comprise a movable transverse slide arranged to receive the contact bodies from the means for returning the bodies into position to be selected and to apply them to the carrier.

'7. A controlling mechanism comprising a series of movable controlling members, a movable carrier, a plnrality of free contact bodies each adapted to occupy temporarily a position on said carrier, means on said carrier to hold said bodies in selected positions on the carrier, means for selectively placing said free contact bodies on said carrier in selected positions, a transverse slide and transfer means for conducting the free contact bodies thereto from said movable carrier, said slide having recesses therein for the contact bodies and being movable from a position to receive a row of contact bodies into a raised position to apply the contact bodies to the controlling members to actuate the latter, returning means for returning the free contact bodies into position to be selected, movable ejecting means having fingers arranged to be capable of sweeping through the recesses in the slide in the extreme raised position of the slide and actuating means for said ejecting means for moving the fingers through the recesses after the actuation of the ccntrolling means by the contact bodies to transfer the contact bodies to the returning means.

8. A contrclling mechanism comprising a series of movable controlling members, a movable carrier, a plurality of free contact bodies each adapted to occupy temporarily a position on said carrier, means on said carrier to hold said bodies in selected positions on the carrier, means for selectively placing said free contact bodies on said carrier in selected' positions', a transverse slide arranged to receive the contact bodies successively from the movable carrier, said slide having means for holding a row of contact bodies thereon and being movable from a position to receive a row of contact bodies into a raised position, threearmed levers each having one arm arranged to extend across the path of the slide for actuation by a contact body placed thereon in the raised position of the slide, a second arm arranged to operate one of the movable control members and a latching arm, latching means arranged for cooperation with the latching arm for maintaining the three-armed lever with the second arm in the operative position, means for releasing said latching means from the latching arm and means for returning the free contact bodies into position to be selected.

9. A controlling mechanism comprising a series of movable controlling members, a movable carrier, a plurality of free contact bodies each adapted to occupy temporarily a position on said carrier, means on said carrier to hold said bodies in selected positions in transverse rows on the carrier, means for selectively placing said free contact bodies on said carrier in selected positions, a movable transverse slide arranged to receive the contact bodies successively from said carrier and apply them, one row at a time to the controlling members to actuate the latter, means for returning said free contact bodies into position to be selected, the means for selectively placing the contact bodies on the carrier including a transverse slide arranged to receive the contact bodies from the returning means therefor, and actuating means for said movable carrier and for said slides operatively connected so that the carrier travels a distance equal to that between two transverse rows of contact bodies during a single movement of the slides away from and towards the carrier.

10. A controlling mechanism as set forth in claim l, having a secondary channel interposed between the carrier and the Operating means for applying the contact bodies to the controlling members, for enabling the contact bodies to be returned into position to be selected Without passing to said Operating means, and movable means for obstructing the passage of the contact bodies to said secondary channel.

11. A controlling mechanism as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for returning the free contact bodies into position to be selected comprises inclined channels each having a pair of movable tcngnes therein, a movable transverse slide arranged to receive contact bodies from said inclined Channels and convey them to the movable carrier, and keys operatively connected to said tongues to move one tongue out of the channel on depression of the key and during said depression to raise the other tongue, so as to enable a single contact body to be passed to the slide at each depression of a key.

EDMOND UHER. LAJOS WENCZLER. 

